ACWA - University of Calgary

Advancing Canadian Water Assets (ACWA) - University of Calgary

Internationally recognized research in our backyard.

The University of Calgary, in partnership with the City of Calgary, developed a unique research facility built in conjunction with the new Pine Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. The Advancing Canadian Wastewater Assets (ACWA) provides an international research asset in the wastewater field, unique in its combination of scale and connection to an operational municipal plant.

Research Streams: Replicant streams that mimic alpine, prairie or other ecosystems, and can be dosed to measure the effect on the ecosystem of different solutions and chemicals. It will be the only full-scale facility of its kind. In addition to the streams themselves, the project consists of delivery and conveyance systems to supply and return river water, and supply dosing chemicals and effluent to the facility.

Research Wastewater Treatment Plant: A pilot scale plant that will be used to test developing technologies in a “real world” context within an operational municipal plant. In order to provide flexibility for equipment installation and layout, a generic process building will house the equipment and provide connection points to the municipal plant. Various possible equipment layouts were examined to determine the optimal building envelope that minimizes restrictions on equipment placement.